Virat Kohli arrives in Bengaluru as defending champions RCB ahead of IPL 2026 – Watch

Virat Kohli Having arrived in Bangalore ahead of the upcoming IPL season, he is gearing up for the title defense with Royal Challengers Bangalore.The star batsman was central to RCB’s historic victory last season, finishing with 657 runs with eight half-centuries at a strike rate of 144.71 and an average of 54.75. His consistency at the top played a huge role in ending the team’s long wait for a trophy.RCB finally breaks 18-year title drought rajapatidar Provide leadership during the campaign. Having achieved this milestone, the focus now shifts to repeating the success in a challenging title defense.Kohli has retired from T20Is and Tests. With only ODIs and IPL left now, every appearance has an extra significance.Even at the age of 37, Kohli continues to perform at an elite level. His numbers from last season underline his enduring qualities, as he remains one of the most well-rounded batsmen in the format, able to anchor and accelerate as needed.His recent ODI form further highlights his consistency. Against South Africa, Kohli remained unbeaten with scores of 135 off 120 balls, 102 off 93 balls and 65 off 45 balls in the three-match series. He then scored 93 off 91 in the first ODI and 124 off 108 in the third ODI against New Zealand.RCB will kick off the tournament on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.Kohli also enters the season as the IPL’s all-time leading run-scorer, having amassed 8,661 runs in 267 games, including a record eight centuries.